diff --git a/communicator/ssh/communicator.go b/communicator/ssh/communicator.go
index dacd46807..c1fbc5e52 100644
--- a/communicator/ssh/communicator.go
+++ b/communicator/ssh/communicator.go
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package ssh
 
 import (
+	"bufio"
 	"bytes"
 	"code.google.com/p/go.crypto/ssh"
 	"errors"
@@ -106,12 +107,6 @@ func (c *comm) Upload(path string, input io.Reader) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	// Set stderr/stdout to a bytes buffer
-	stderr := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	stdout := new(bytes.Buffer)
-	session.Stderr = stderr
-	session.Stdout = stdout
-
 	// We only want to close once, so we nil w after we close it,
 	// and only close in the defer if it hasn't been closed already.
 	defer func() {
@@ -120,6 +115,17 @@ func (c *comm) Upload(path string, input io.Reader) error {
 		}
 	}()
 
+	// Get a pipe to stdout so that we can get responses back
+	scp_reader, err := session.StdoutPipe()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	r := bufio.NewReader(scp_reader)
+
+	// Set stderr to a bytes buffer
+	stderr := new(bytes.Buffer)
+	session.Stderr = stderr
+
 	// The target directory and file for talking the SCP protocol
 	target_dir := filepath.Dir(path)
 	target_file := filepath.Base(path)
@@ -143,8 +149,17 @@ func (c *comm) Upload(path string, input io.Reader) error {
 	// Start the protocol
 	log.Println("Beginning file upload...")
 	fmt.Fprintln(w, "C0644", input_memory.Len(), target_file)
+	err = check_response(r)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	io.Copy(w, input_memory)
 	fmt.Fprint(w, "\x00")
+	err = check_response(r)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
 	// TODO(mitchellh): Each step above results in a 0/1/2 being sent by
 	// the remote side to confirm. We should check for those confirmations.
@@ -178,7 +193,6 @@ func (c *comm) Upload(path string, input io.Reader) error {
 		return err
 	}
 
-	log.Printf("scp stdout (length %d): %#v", stdout.Len(), stdout.Bytes())
 	log.Printf("scp stderr (length %d): %s", stderr.Len(), stderr.String())
 
 	return nil
@@ -223,3 +237,17 @@ func (c *comm) reconnect() (err error) {
 
 	return
 }
+
+func check_response(r *bufio.Reader) (err error) {
+	scp_status_code, err := r.ReadByte()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	if scp_status_code != 0 {
+		// Treat any non-zero (really 1 and 2) as fatal errors
+		error_message, _, err := r.ReadLine()
+		err = fmt.Errorf(string(error_message[:]))
+		return err
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/provisioner/file/provisioner.go b/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
index 1a9a3589b..25811dbb9 100644
--- a/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
+++ b/provisioner/file/provisioner.go
@@ -79,5 +79,9 @@ func (p *Provisioner) Provision(ui packer.Ui, comm packer.Communicator) error {
 	}
 	defer f.Close()
 
-	return comm.Upload(p.config.Destination, f)
+	err = comm.Upload(p.config.Destination, f)
+	if err != nil {
+		ui.Error(fmt.Sprintf("Upload failed: %s", err))
+	}
+	return err
 }